Press release:
LOS ANGELES – The 2022 MLB Draft was held over the last three days and four USC baseball players were selected, with D’Andre Smith, Matt Keating, Rhylan Thomas and Tyresse Turner hearing their names called.
Smith and Keating were taken on day two of the draft, with Smith going to the Mets in the fifth round and Keating to the Yankees in the ninth round. Thomas was also selected by the Mets, going in the 11th round on day three, and Turner was taken by the Cleveland Guardians in the 13th round.
The four Trojan draft picks give USC a total of 348 draft selections in its history. A USC player has been taken in every MLB draft since it was instituted in 1965, and multiple Trojans have been taken in all but two drafts (1972 and 2020’s shortened draft). Smith’s fifth round selection marks the third time in the last four years that USC has had a player taken in the first five rounds.
D’Andre Smith – New York Mets (Round 5, Pick 149)
Smith, a draft eligible sophomore, started 52 games this past season, finishing the year with a .286/.380/.471 slash line. With eight homers, three triples and nine doubles, Smith’s 20 extra-base hits were the second most on the team. He also finished tied for the team lead with 40 runs scored, while driving in 23 more. Smith hit .341 in an injury shortened 2021 campaign and in his two years at USC, posted a .295 average.
Matt Keating – New York Yankees (Round 9, Pick 280)
Keating came to USC as a transfer from Southeast CC in Nebraska prior to the 2022 season and promptly took over as the Trojans’ closer. The junior righty made 24 relief appearances for USC this season, posting a 3.60 ERA with seven saves. He tossed 30.0 innings, striking out 44 batters while walking just 15, holding opponents to a .212 batting average. Keating’s seven saves were tied for fifth in the Pac-12 this year.
Rhylan Thomas – New York Mets (Round 11, Pick 329)
Thomas was an offensive and defensive star this year, leading the team and finishing third in the conference with a .363 batting average to earn All-Pac-12 honorable mention and a spot on the conference’s All-Defensive team. Thomas' 81 hits this season were the third most in the Pac-12 and the most by a USC player since Bobby Stahel (92) in 2015. He was also the second toughest player in the Pac-12 to strike out this year, fanning just once every 13.1 at-bats. Thomas drove in 23 runs this season and scored 35, while hitting 10 doubles, one triple and two homers. He also stole eight bases.
Tyresse Turner – Cleveland Guardians (Round 13, Pick 391)
Turner picked up All-Pac-12 honors in his junior season, finishing the year with a .330 batting average, driving in 33 runs and scoring a team-high 40 while starting all but two games. His 14 stolen bases on the year were the 5th most in the Pac-12 and his 15 doubles were 17th in the league. Turner also hit two triples and six homers to post a team-best .524 slugging percentage. The Trojan second-baseman has led the team in stolen bases each of the last three seasons, and has led the team in runs scored each of the last two years.
LOS ANGELES – The 2022 MLB Draft was held over the last three days and four USC baseball players were selected, with D’Andre Smith, Matt Keating, Rhylan Thomas and Tyresse Turner hearing their names called.
Smith and Keating were taken on day two of the draft, with Smith going to the Mets in the fifth round and Keating to the Yankees in the ninth round. Thomas was also selected by the Mets, going in the 11th round on day three, and Turner was taken by the Cleveland Guardians in the 13th round.
The four Trojan draft picks give USC a total of 348 draft selections in its history. A USC player has been taken in every MLB draft since it was instituted in 1965, and multiple Trojans have been taken in all but two drafts (1972 and 2020’s shortened draft). Smith’s fifth round selection marks the third time in the last four years that USC has had a player taken in the first five rounds.
D’Andre Smith – New York Mets (Round 5, Pick 149)
Smith, a draft eligible sophomore, started 52 games this past season, finishing the year with a .286/.380/.471 slash line. With eight homers, three triples and nine doubles, Smith’s 20 extra-base hits were the second most on the team. He also finished tied for the team lead with 40 runs scored, while driving in 23 more. Smith hit .341 in an injury shortened 2021 campaign and in his two years at USC, posted a .295 average.
Matt Keating – New York Yankees (Round 9, Pick 280)
Keating came to USC as a transfer from Southeast CC in Nebraska prior to the 2022 season and promptly took over as the Trojans’ closer. The junior righty made 24 relief appearances for USC this season, posting a 3.60 ERA with seven saves. He tossed 30.0 innings, striking out 44 batters while walking just 15, holding opponents to a .212 batting average. Keating’s seven saves were tied for fifth in the Pac-12 this year.
Rhylan Thomas – New York Mets (Round 11, Pick 329)
Thomas was an offensive and defensive star this year, leading the team and finishing third in the conference with a .363 batting average to earn All-Pac-12 honorable mention and a spot on the conference’s All-Defensive team. Thomas' 81 hits this season were the third most in the Pac-12 and the most by a USC player since Bobby Stahel (92) in 2015. He was also the second toughest player in the Pac-12 to strike out this year, fanning just once every 13.1 at-bats. Thomas drove in 23 runs this season and scored 35, while hitting 10 doubles, one triple and two homers. He also stole eight bases.
Tyresse Turner – Cleveland Guardians (Round 13, Pick 391)
Turner picked up All-Pac-12 honors in his junior season, finishing the year with a .330 batting average, driving in 33 runs and scoring a team-high 40 while starting all but two games. His 14 stolen bases on the year were the 5th most in the Pac-12 and his 15 doubles were 17th in the league. Turner also hit two triples and six homers to post a team-best .524 slugging percentage. The Trojan second-baseman has led the team in stolen bases each of the last three seasons, and has led the team in runs scored each of the last two years.
